"I have seen many improvements at my school. We are learning more now through better teaching methods and materials,” she said. Amina is one of the millions of Afghans whose lives have improved and has great hopes for the future.

Despite the encouraging progress and potential, both sentiment and evidence show that living standards for too many Afghans remains low due to persistent poverty, high unemployment, and lack of security. Tensions have shaken business confidence, while the country’s fiscal situation remains precarious. These challenges require tireless efforts to overcome.

With these considerations in mind, we are meeting together this week at the Ministerial Conference on Afghanistan in Geneva, Switzerland. Representatives from many countries and organizations have gathered to reaffirm the solidarity of the international community with the Afghan people in their efforts toward greater peace and prosperity, and for the Afghan government to realize greater development and reform.

Two years ago, in 2016, the Afghan government and international community made mutual commitments at the Brussels Conference on Afghanistan to take the country further on its path toward economic growth and peace.

Moreover, the prospects for peace appear to be promising, which is a hopeful sign for growth in the coming years. If achieved, a durable peace will take Afghanistan toward a more sustainable development path.

However, much more remains to be done for poverty eradication, job creation, and ensuring better security for the Afghan people. At today’s meeting in Geneva, on behalf of the World Bank Group, I stressed to the Government of Afghanistan and its development partners the need to accelerate the implementation of the vision and strategies that have been put into place to enable the key sectors of agriculture and extractives, boost investment in regional connectivity, continue to implement reforms to address business constraints, and increase, investments in health and education.

Implementation does not necessarily mean new laws, regulations, or strategies. Rather, it means identifying a few concrete goals, tracking progress toward them, and taking action when reforms get stuck or slow down. It also means taking decisive action when progress is prevented by vested interests.